Fugitive for 15 Years Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Twenty Counts Related to Tax Evasion and Structuring Financial Transactions

PEORIA, Ill. - Jalal Nimer Asad, 62, of Lindenhurst, Illinois, was sentenced to five years in the Bureau of Prisons and ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution and a forfeiture judgement of more than $4 million for his role in two different but related criminal conspiracies at multiple businesses within the Central District of Illinois involving tax evasion; mail fraud; and the structuring financial transactions to avoid reporting requirements.

In 2009, a federal grand jury returned indictments against Asad and multiple co-defendants in two separate cases. The other defendants were convicted or pleaded guilty years ago, but Asad remained at large overseas for 15 years until his return to the United States in 2023 to stand trial.

In September 2025, Asad was convicted on all charged counts following a jury trial. Over seven days of testimony, the government presented evidence establishing that Asad led a group of individuals that owned and operated several convenience and liquor stores in Decatur, Illinois, and Peoria, Illinois. During trial, the government established that Asad and his cohorts kept two sets of books, a true set and a false set, in order to underreport their earnings and pay less in federal, state, and local taxes. The government also presented evidence that Asad structured financial transactions to withdraw more than $4 million in cash without triggering the bank's reporting requirements. The trial evidence showed that Asad caused much of that cash to be transported overseas.

At the sentencing hearing on July 9, 2026, the government presented evidence that Asad had been living in the West Bank as a fugitive from these charges for 15 years. The government also presented evidence that, while Asad had claimed to have significant financial resources prior to his conviction, he claimed at sentencing to have no resources, bank accounts, or assets. At the hearing, U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley found that there was no doubt that Asad was the manager or supervisor of these illegal schemes. Judge Hawley further noted that the more than $1 million that Asad failed to pay in federal taxes was money that ultimately belonged to every American and was designed to support everything from the military to school lunches for children.

Asad will remain on bond until his reporting date this fall. The statutory maximum penalties for the offenses of conspiracy to defraud the United States and violate its tax laws, tax evasion, conspiracy to structure financial transactions to evade reporting requirements, and structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements are no more than five years in prison, three years supervised release, a fine of up to twice the pecuniary gain, and restitution. The statutory maximum penalties for mail fraud are no more than twenty years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to twice the pecuniary gain, and restitution.

"Asad's successful prosecution after 15 years in self-imposed exile demonstrates that a defendant should not expect to avoid responsibility for his crimes by fleeing prosecution," said United States Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. "The dedicated law enforcement officers who work these cases are committed to ensuring that justice delayed is not justice denied."

"Jalal Asad didn't just flee the country. He fled accountability," said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. "While honest, hardworking individuals earn a living and play by the rules, criminals like Asad steal from the very system those taxpayers support. Running may delay justice, but it doesn't erase it, and IRS Criminal Investigation and its fellow law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who think a border is enough to escape the consequences of their crimes."

"The FBI will not allow individuals to escape the consequences of their actions by fleeing the country," said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Ryan Presley. "For years, Mr. Asad deliberately evaded his duty to report income and pay required taxes, and he attempted to sidestep federal reporting laws by structuring millions of dollars in cash withdrawals. His return to the United States and subsequent conviction demonstrate that avoiding lawful obligations is not a path to evading accountability. The FBI remains steadfast in working with our partners to ensure that those who choose to ignore their financial responsibilities do not escape the consequences of that choice."

The case investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and was carried out with the support of local law enforcement partners, including the Decatur Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Eugene L. Miller and Douglas F. McMeyer represented the government at trial and sentencing.